Freshest Fruits and Vegetables opened in former Charlottetown Needs location in December

Burhan Kaboush, left, and his wife Luba are the owners of Freshest Fruits and Vegetables on University Avenue in the space previously occupied by the Needs convenience store. Freshest offers local produce as well as international produce that is hard to find on P.E.I. In this photo, Burhan is holding a Taro Root while Luba is holding a Yoka Cassava. - Terrence McEachern

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - As more newcomers move to the Island, the demand for international food is also on the rise.

“And, that’s the idea,” said Luba Kaboush, who co-owns the Freshest Fruits and Vegetables grocery store in Charlottetown with her husband Burhan.

“We’ve seen a demand. So, that’s why we opened this location.”

The store opened in December at 421 University Ave. in the space previously occupied by a Needs convenience store.

The store offers familiar produce, such as P.E.I. potatoes, lemons, garlic, apples, oranges, lettuce and tomatoes, to name a few.

But the store’s appeal is the international food that is hard to find (if at all) at other grocery stores.

“We learn from different international people. The diversity here on P.E.I. is growing more and more.”
-Luba Kaboush

Luba explained that a goal of Freshest is to make healthy food affordable, especially as the cost of living increases.

Burhan guarantees that the store’s prices will also be the lowest in the city.